Do You Really Know Me?
by IceBlade28
Summary: While feelings between the First, Second, and Third Children are awash, Rei is chosen over Asuka to pilot against Israfel. Asuka sees this as the perfect opportunity, but is Rei and Shinji together what she wants?
1. Chapter I

Do You Really Know Me?

Yes, yes, I know- it's my first non-Fire Emblem fic. Be nice. Don't worry, to all my other Fire Emblem fans, Person's Unknown will be going ahead as scheduled. I'm gonna be pulling out a few NGE one-shots, so be prepared!

a/n: BTW, I haven't seen any Evangelion past the episode where Toji gets smashed by EVA-01, so don't kill me. I also haven't seen Neon Genesis for the _longest_ time, but I've kept up with extremely frequent listenings to the theme song and plenty of spoilers. It's due to those massive amounts of spoilers that I know what happens. Anyway, I might still get some of the dates/times/events mixed up, so don't kill me.

Serra: Hey, cool! A new fic!

IceBlade28: Yes, and it _isn't_ an FE fic. So you're not my muse.

Serra: What? How could I not be your muse!

IceBlade28: Because you aren't from this series, moron.

Serra: Then who's your muse for this fic?

IceBlade28: My favourite character- Maya Ibuki, assistant to Ritsuko Akagi!

Maya: Hi everyone!

Serra: Maya Ibuki! What kinda name is that?

IceBlade28: Maya is a fine name. And if you're here any longer, you'll corrupt the fic. This isn't your universe, and it definitely isn't a crossover fic; go back to FE. big poof of smoke and Serra disappears.

Maya: What was that all about?

IceBlade28: _Really_ long story. Anyway, enjoy the fic!

**Do You Really Know Me?**

Asuka watched him intently from her desk, trying to read the boy's expression. He was gazing almost hopefully out the window, not paying the least bit attention to the lesson. Then again, who was?

The German shook her head, drawing curious glances from a few of her classmates. She ignored, them, typing a couple of words onto her laptop in annoyance. Trust Shinji not to be paying attention. Asuka took a quick peek at her room-mate. He was looking away from the window now, staring sadly at his computer, before stretching his fingers and typing slowly on his assigned laptop.

Asuka's computer winked, and an Instant Message flashed up in Japanese. Asuka ground her teeth, her trademark anger coming to the rise. She hadn't learnt _all_ of the characters yet. Still, from the majority of the words . . .

_Hey Asuka,_ it read. _Such a sudden interest in Shinji! Do you have a crush on him or something?_

The redhead swore quietly in German, her finger flying around the keyboard in a sudden rush that drew more than one surprised glance from those close by.

_He's my room-mate!_ she wrote furiously. _I'd never be interested in him- besides, he's an idiot!_

Beaming with savage pride, she sent the message off and sat back, answering a few of the easier questions assigned to her.

Shinji looked curiously at Asuka, before looking away hurriedly. Knowing his unwelcome (well, perhaps unwelcome was too strong a word-) room-mate, she'd have fierce words with him for no particular reason. He sighed quietly, before typing a few more characters on his keyboard and looking back out the window again.

_I wish they wouldn't insist on keeping us in school on days like this,_ he thought. The sun was shining brilliantly, and Shinji's seat was located in the centre of a rather warm sunbeam. Judging by the way the grass on the soccer oval rippled, there was a cooling breeze out as well. It would have been a really nice day to sit under a tree and read a book . . . and grin behind the pages while Asuka 'accidently' K.O'ed a hapless soccer player that made the mistake of getting in her way. And maybe even given Rei a happy smile or two . . .

Shinji looked across the class at his fellow EVA pilot. Ayanami was deep in her work, her gaze unfaltering from the computer screen. Rei was 'a weird one', as Miss Misato has put it. Shinji had mixed feelings about such a blunt observation. Certainly, she wasn't like normal people . . . the way she had been so automated when he accidently intruded upon her in her room, when he had come to give her the message.

The youngest Ikari smiled slightly at both their reactions. He had cleaned up the papers on the floor, smiling slightly as he did so. Then she walked in on him-

Shinji winced, shying away from that memory quickly. She had been completely naked; and yet she acted if nothing was wrong. The boy wondered what she had thought. _I must have been a strange sight_, he thought. _Your typical Japanese schoolboy come to deliver a message, and instead of acting completely perverted about the fact she was naked, I clamp my eyes shut, blurt out my message and allow her to steer me to the door_.

His eyes flicked back to her form, and they made eye contact. Rei had been watching Shinji apparently, and when their eyes met, she looked away, as if embarrased. Shinji kept watching her, amused, and he gave her a gentle smile when she saw him again. She blushed, watching her monitor with an embarrassed- was it really, Shinji thought, peering hard.

It was indeed. Rei was smiling, gently, with the embarrassment plain to read, but it was still a smile. Shinji grinned, and typed the answer to a question on his computer. He had gotten Ayanami Rei to smile.

Asuka, meanwhile, was still holding a furious I.M debate with some of her classmates as to whether or not she 'liked' Ikari Shinji. The German was growing tired of the debate.

_They're my feelings- and they do not gravitate towards Ikari Shinji! Gimme a break- he's a worse E-_

Asuka quickly erased the last letter. She hated these new Japanese systems; they sent each letter off, instead of writing the whole message and then sending it. No-one was supposed to know that the famed pilots of Evangelions were fourteen-year-old children! Heck, most people knew anyway, but if they knew that not just one, but _all three_ EVA pilots were in the same class . . . . Asuka shuddered. They'd never get a moments peace.

_He's an idiot!_ she wrote again, this time in bold. Discreetly, she glanced at her fellow pilot. He was staring at that weird girl, Ayanami Rei.

_Could Shinji and Rei . . . _like_ each other? Oh, this is too choice! Shinji is bad enough, but _Ayanami . . .

Asuka opened a writing program and began typing furiously, her smile growing wider as she wrote. Perhaps a little extra help wouldn't go astray . . .

Shinji opened an I.M, his fingers shaking surprisingly. Why would he be scared? It wasn't as though he had a crush on her . . . and he wasn't scared of her- that he knew of. Although, her reaction might be enough to discourage all further attempts. Shinji took a deep breath, and started to type her name, when he was suddenly interupted by the bell.

"That's it, people. Off you go. Chapters Twelve and Thirteen for homework," the professor called, as each computer was saved and logged off, and students filed out in ones and twos. Shinji sighed, exiting the I.M and closing the lid on his laptop. Maybe later . . .

Asuka 'conveniently' hung back to see what would happen between her room-mate and the schizoid. If there was chemistry here, Asuka would see it, and . . . well, she preferred the term 'gently ease unwilling participants into an unknown area which may or may not be to their benefit'. Most called it meddling. She liked to call it blackmailing.

"So, ah . . . Rei," Shinji stammered, fumbling with the zip on his bag. The girl turned her blank eyes towards him, the standard indifference shining through. "Yes?"

"Um . . . I-I was wondering . . . I mean, you usually eat alone, and I'm sorry if I sound rude, but I know what it's like to have to eat alone, and I thought-" Rei looked at her fellow pilot curiously, somehow silencing his babbling.

"Are you offering to eat lunch with me?" she asked, intrigued. Shinji nodded dumbly, flushing. Why did he have to go red now? _Why_? Rei paused, unsure of what to say.

"I'm used to eating alone," she said simply, turning and walking out the front door. Shinji watched her form vanish amongst the mass of chattering girls and talking guys, a forlorn expression on his face. Asuka chose her moment perfectly.

"Aww, cheer up, Shinji!" she chirped. "It's not like you wanted to ask her out or anything . . . besides, you'll see her- um, in that place we go," she said, stumbling around the subject of NERV. The boy gave her an odd look.

"Anyway, you can have lunch with me!" she said, grabbing his arm. "C'mon!" Shinji didn't even bother to argue; when Asuka wants to do something, she'll do it even if you argue. Since all arguing does is slow the end result down, Shinji had already learnt to just get out of the way.

They wandered into the netball courts, Shinji examining the cliques and circles of friends that dotted the concrete. And, of course, Rei sat by her lonesome, leaning contentedly against the wire fence with a small red book in her hand. Asuka followed his gaze and frowned.

"Come on!" she said angrily, convincing herself that it was an act. She had to act this way if she was going to get Shinji and Rei together. They found an unoccupied bench, and Asuka promptly sat down and opened her lunchbox. Shinji took a little longer to sit down, looking at Rei one last time before 'accepting defeat' and sitting down to lunch with Asuka.

"Geez Shinji," Asuka mumbled, her mouth full of food. "You gonna be cooking lunches every day? These are great!" Ikari gave a start.

"Sorry?" Shinji winced. He knew she hated him apologising.

"Don't be sorry!" she said angrily. (a/n: See?) "I'm giving you a compliment!"

"O-Oh," he said, taking a small bite of his own bread roll. Asuka looked at him side-on, admiring him-

_Wait_, she said. _Admiring him? What on earth? There's no feelings for him in my heart! _Still, the way the wind ruffled his bangs, and those sky-blue eyes that caught her attention every time she looked at them-

_No. Just- no. It was the ditzes. The idiots that were I.M.ing me during class. I put up with them, and now I'm feeling the side effects. I do not like Shinji. I'm going to put him with Rei. End of story_, she told herself firmly. But watching him take periodic glances at Ayanami irked her- until she figured out why.

"Honestly, Shinji!" Asuka shouted, causing those sitting nearby to inch slightly further away from the volatile German. "If you want something, go after it wholeheartedly! Don't just take tiny shots from the shadows! If you don't pursue what you want aggressively, someone else is going to take it!" she screamed. All pretense had been dropped; those nearby stood up and moved a good ten feet away from the crazy chick. Asuka was feeling really stupid by this point, and buried her face into the bread roll.

Shinji was speechless; Asuka's ranting usually did that to him.

"Um . . ." he began. "Asuka . . . you know I don't like you anymore than a friend, right?" The redhead froze.

"What?" she said, her voice dangerously soft. Shinji felt a bead of sweat form on his forehead.

"Uh . . . I don't really like y-you more than a friend?" he asked in a tiny voice. Asuka turned slowly to look him in the eye, and Shinji gulped. He had made some pretty bad mistakes in his life, but this . . .

Asuka rose to her feet, her hands balling into fists. There was no way Shinji could miss a gesture that obvious.

"Do you think I was talking about me?" she asked softly, her voice laden with hostility. Shinji's heart beat faster- the likelihood of pain usually did that to him.

"Um . . . yes?" he asked. Asuka's eyes blazed, and Shinji dropped all barriers.

He got to his feet and started running, rapidly pursued by a roaring Asuka. Shinji didn't pay attention to the words; pouring all his concentration into running and trying to stay alive.

From her seat on the higher netball court, Rei looked briefly away from her book at her two co-pilots, the boy who had talked to her earlier fleeing from the psychotic redhead.

_Honestly_, Rei thought. _They're acting like children. Hard to believe they're my co-pilots . . . harder to believe that Commander Ikari's son isn't that bad_, she thought dismissively, turning back to her book.

-----

Shinji ran hard, prominently aware of the fuming redhead giving chase behind him. His lungs were contracting, and he knew he wouldn't be running much further. Better just to give in and let Asuka yell at him-

The young Ikari turned his head to look forward and crashed straight into an unaware Toji. The two boys fell to the floor, but Shinji scrambled up. He would've kept running if Toji hadn't grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer.

"What's the big idea!" he said angrily. "I'm minding my own business, and all of a sudden you knock me down!" Shinji looked away, trying not to incite another person's wrath today.

"Sorry . . ." he mumbled, wincing as he heard an unwelcome voice.

"Well!" Asuka said breathlessly, catching up to the two of them. "Looks like the idiot is good for something other than flashing people," she said with a dry look at Toji. The young boy was less than thrilled to have this crazy redhead at his side.

"You were looking for this little weasel?" Toji asked, tightening his grip on Shinji's shirt. Asuka nodded proudly.

"I was going to kill the little _baka_, but it appears I can get someone to do my dirty work for me," she said, satisfied. However, in the interest of Shinji-bashing, it was one of the worst things she could've said.

"What!" Toji said. "I don't do _anything_ to help you- you're crazy!" He dropped Shinji to the ground and promptly had an experience exactly like the one when he first met Asuka.

After the sound had ceased, Toji keeled backwards with a pair of bright red, hand-shaped welts on his face. (a/n: Why? What were _you_ thinking?). Again, an incident of bad timing, as Miss Ibuki had just rounded the corridor. The young woman surveyed the scene in front of her, shaking her head.

"Let me guess," Maya said. "Shinji accidently P.O'ed Asuka, Asuka tried to kill Shinji _again_, Shinji ran away and crashed into Toji, who wanted to beat Shinji for crashing into him; but when Toji tried to kill Shinji, Asuka slapped Toji because only _she_ gets to beat the living stuffing out of Shinji," Maya said quickly, smiling at the dumbfounded looks she got from them all.

"Actually, that's pretty accurate," Asuka said, all traces of anger lost. Maya smiled sweetly, looking down at Toji.

"And Asuka, don't be so hard on the kid. He might be piloting alongside you someday; you never know when the Marduk Report finds someone new," she said, but Toji shook his head violently and sprang to his feet.

"I'd never pilot one of those things," he spat. "It's _him_-" he pointed to Shinji angrily. "-that destroyed so much of Tokyo-3. _He's_ the reason my sister's in E.R even now!" he raged, storming off. Maya looked hurt; she didn't mean to hurt his feelings.

"M-Miss Ibuki, why _are_ you here?" Shinji asked, glancing at Ritsuko's assistant. "Shouldn't you be back at NERV?" The young woman seemed to come to her senses.

"Oh, right," Maya said, a little flustered. "Commander Ikari wants to see you. Now, if possible," Shinji nodded and started back down the corridor.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Asuka shouted. The youngest Ikari paused, and turned back to his turbulent friend.

"To see Rei," he said simply. "My father wants to see us all, right? That includes Rei, and I don't think Maya's told her yet," Maya shook her head, proving Shinji right. But before Ikari Shinji could walk off, Maya started down the hallway.

"It's okay, though," Maya said. "You two are needed in Central Dogma; I'll pick Ayanami up and come later," Shinji looked disappointed, but he nodded and headed for the exit of the school. Asuka looked at his expression with a devillish smile; Maya just shook her head. Whatever Asuka was planning, it looked like more stress for Shinji in the future.

Miss Ibuki walked contentedly down the hallway towards the netball courts.

IceBlade28: That should do it for for the first chapter!

Maya: I wonder what will happen with me and Rei?

IceBlade28: Actually, so do I. I've always wanted to meet Maya or Rei in real life; or even just seen how the two reacted to each other in the anime.

Maya: Anime?

IceBlade28: You're better off not knowing.

Maya: Oh, okay.

IceBlade28: You wanna tell them about the next chapter?

Maya: Okay! In the next chapter: Asuka starts the blackmailing, hitting Shinji in a tender spot. I get to meet Rei, but (a/n: A MAJOR EVENT WHICH WILL REMAIN UNNAMED) stops us from reaching Central Dogma in time. Plus, how will Shinji react around his father?

IceBlade28: Hope we see you all in the next chapter! (Sorry if Asuka was a bit OOC this time- I'm working on it!)

Maya: Review everyone! smiles happily.


	2. Chapter II

IceBlade28: Wow . . . I didn't expect such a huge response! I guess there are more fans of Evangelion then there are of Fire Emblem.

Maya: Hey, you've updated quickly!

IceBlade28: Well, I like working on this story. BTW, I got a review asking about the time frame this is in- originally I didn't actually _have_ one, but originally this was a one-shot, too, so . . . I've decided to put this in the frame after Gaghiel (the massive fish Angel that attacks during the episode where Asuka's introduced), but before Israfel (the Angel that can duplicate itself) and Sandalphon, (the embryonic Angel located within the volcano).

Serra: But what about Person's Unknown? The Blood Of Pride?

IceBlade28: What the- how'd you get back here!

Serra: Um . . . . bullet train?

IceBlade28: confused There's bullet trains to the FE universe?

Serra: Um . . . maybe . . .

IceBlade28: That can be easily remedied. Mana, will you do the honours?

Mana: Sure. calls on walkie-talkie. Kaoru, go have fun with the FE to Evangelion bullet train.

Kaoru: Bwah hah hah haaahh! lots of smashing sounds

Serra: Hey!

IceBlade28: Warned you.

Serra: But how am I supposed to get back!

IceBlade28: Author power. big puff of smoke and Serra disappears. Again.

Mana: That was fun.

Kaoru: I wanna smash some more stuff!

IceBlade28: Um . . . sweatdrops . . . Tell you what, Kaoru- if you're a good boy, you can go wreak havok in the GUNDAM universe.

Kaoru: YAY! zooms off.

IceBlade28: Stupid GUNDAM. I hate them.

Mana: Who's GUNDAM?

IceBlade28: A more high-tech, space-dwelling version of Tokyo-3 with a bunch of idiotic robots that an EVA could pwn. Even with the 5-minute time limit.

Mana: Oh, okay.

IceBlade28: Enjoy chapter two! (Crap. I just P.O'ed a lot of GUNDAM fans . . . not good . . .)

**Do You Really Know Me?**

Rei looked up from her book at the sound of footsteps. There were many footsteps echoing on the netball courts, but one pair stood out among the rest. A pair of high heels, clicking subtly against the pavement; obvious to those who knew what to listen for.

Rei liked listening to footsteps. Each person's footsteps were so blank; just noise on the concrete to others, but to this quiet blue-haired girl they told a story. One girl's footsteps across the first court were quiet and slow; she had been wronged. Another's was quick and rhythmic; perhaps a youthful boy dancing to music. There were so many stories to be told in a person's footsteps, so many paths to be walked.

But in the end, they were just footsteps. The meaningless scurryings of those she did not know. Rei expression softened, and she re-immersed herself in her book; though not for long.

Maya spotted the EVA pilot sitting confortably against a fence, reading a small red book. She began striding towards Rei, trying to ignore the interested looks she got from the soccer-playing jocks. Soccer on the netball courts; some people were just plain weird.

"Hello, Miss Ibuki," Rei said simply, without looking up from her book. Maya's hand flew to her chest, and she took a deep breath.

"Hi Rei," she said, a little startled. "You knew I was there?" Rei nodded once, still reading.

"Not many women dwell these courts," she said. "And fewer still wear high heels on concrete."

"Well done," Maya said cheerily. "Not many people would pick that up," she added, smiling at the fourteen-year-old.

"Is there a reason you're here, Miss Ibuki?" Rei asked slowly, closing the book. Maya nodded.

"Commander Ikari has requested the presence of every EVA pilot in Central Dogma. Ritsuko will be there too; apparently there's been some new breakthrough with the Angel's," Maya explained. "Shinji and Asuka are already en route; Misato was outside, she picked them up." Rei nodded, and placed her red book in the pocket next to her skirt. The two NERV employees began to walk towards the outside exit of the school, and Maya's simple Volkswagon Beetle. The raven-haired woman wasn't a fan of fast cars; she didn't know how Misato could stand them! Better the simple Bug to transport her around.

Rei lifted the handle and calmly slid into the passenger seat near the front, while Maya placed the keys in the ignition and turned on the engine.

"Commander Ikari's son . ." Rei said distantly. "Did . . he evade Asuka?" Maya almost took her eyes off the road, but she caught herself and kept the Bug steady. She wasn't too good at this driving business; she'd barely gotten out of her 'P' plates.

"Did he evade . . . oh! Right," she said, as she remembered what Rei meant. "Not really. He ran into Toji, and he was about to get pounded when I showed up. The strange thing is, Asuka saw Toji about to lay Shinji out flat, and she slapped Toji. Twice," Maya said in a confused voice. "I guess Asuka's a little posessive of Shinji. You know, like nobody gets to hurt him but her, if you get what I mean," she explained. Rei just stared at the young woman.

"You are a curious person," Rei said calmly, as though this were a completely normal thing to say. Maya's brow furrowed.

"Curious? Why do you say that?" she asked, unsure of the answer.

"You seem so . . full of emotion," Rei said. "I suppose I am not the best person at showing what I feel, and yet it comes so naturally to you . . . I find you curious in that regard," Maya wasn't quite sure how to react.

"I don't know . . ." she said at last. "I guess I'm just a happy person," She turned to Rei, taking her eyes off the road.

"If you'd like, I can give you some help," Maya said with a smile. "I know you and Commander Ikari are close; if you want, I'll help you so you can show your feelings just fine!" Rei pondered this for a moment, before smiling slightly.

"That would be nice," she said. "However, it's not particularly Commander Ikari- but Ikari Shin-"

They were cut off as the body of a young male careened over the windshield, thumping as it bounced over the top of the car and landing on the road behind. The horrific event was punctuated by the painful scream of the boy she hit.

-----

Shinji stared sadly out the window, his hazel eyes betraying some kind of sadness as he watched the steel buildings whiz by.

His expression was accompanied by a hefty whack across the back of the head.

"Quit looking like you've had your legs cut off and cheer up already!" Asuka screeched. Misato glanced briefly in the rear view mirror, and the German caught her gaze.

"You know Asuka, you don't have to be so hard on Shinji. He's just as good an EVA pilot as you, maybe even better. You've seen his synch ratio; he's _beaten_ you at times, so leave the kid alone!" The driver said.

Asuka slouched back into the seat, muttering something in German under her breath. Shinji was willing to bet Misato wouldn't have been happy with the translation.

They eventually pulled up outside the entrance to NERV, where Gendo was waiting. Shinji opened the door and stepped out, staring into the face of his father. The middle-aged man was wearing a pair of amber glasses, with coarse stubble growing on his face. Clearly he hadn't had much time for personal habits, with the constant repairs on the Evangelions and the tracking of Angel movements.

"F-Father," Shinji stammered, a little unsure of how to react. Immediate disapproval flashed in the elder Ikari's eyes, and he frowned.

"You know how I feel about that title. You are a pilot, first and foremost; I have entrusted family matters to Misato. This is why you are staying with her. You will refer to me as Commander, no matter what you feel ties you to me," he intoned, the trademark subtle anger enriching every word. Shinji's heart sank, and he lowered his head, making do with a small nod.

"Yes . . . Commander," he said humbly. Gendo did not smile, but turned abruptly and walked for the doors.

"Hurry it up. We've located another Angel, and Professor Ritsuko is formulating a plan to capture it. Alive, if possible, after the mess you made with Shamshel," Gendo said coldly, glancing back at Shinji. The words stung, but Shinji wouldn't let him know how deeply.

The Commander paused as he placed his I.D card in the computer lock.

"Why isn't Rei with you?" he asked suddenly, turning back to Misato. The purple-haired Captain was mystified, until she picked up on his angle.

"Oh, right! Maya came with me; she's bringing Rei along seperately. She wanted to talk to her," Misato said with her typical smile. Gendo clearly didn't approve, but he didn't mention it and walked into the depths of NERV.

"Professor Ritsuko will need to do a final synch test on all of you before we commence this operation-" Gendo's cell phone suddenly buzzed, and he brought it to his ear without a second of hesitation.

"Commander Ikari . . . Yes, but Rei will be late . . . She's with Miss Ibuki . . . I know. What! Are you sure? . . . You realize what this will mean, don't you? . . . Very well; they'll be down as soon as possible," he muttered into the cell. Asuka shared a look with Shinji, and they both knew: Something had gone wrong. Clearly, the Second and Third Children would soon be in a fight for their lives against an unknown enemy.

-----

Maya, surprisingly, didn't scream. But her face turned bright white, and she stared blankly ahead as the car sped off.

Rei took one look at the NERV staff member and pulled hard on the car's handbrake, sending it to a juddering stop. Maya was visibly shaking, and tears began to pour down her face.

"I . . . I . ." she gasped, crying. Rei looked almost sympathetic as she climbed out of the car, and walked calmly back to the body of the young boy.

He was clothed in a school uniform, the male equivalent of the simple top and green skirt Rei was wearing now. His white top was, incredibly, unstained. There was no blood coming from anywhere on the boy's body, except for a steady stream from the nose.

He coughed hard, and Rei amended her analysis. _Now_ there was blood on the boy's shirt.

"You . . ." he said, looking through teary eyes. "You're from my school . . . from my class." Rei shrugged.

"Perhaps," she said evenly, watching his face. "You should lie still; there could be internal haemmoraging."

"You're . . . you're- Rei, aren't you?" he whezed, spitting through the blood. "Ayanami Rei." Rei nodded in the affirmative. The boy smiled through the pain.

"Never thought . . . I'd meet you like this," he said. "I've seen you in class . . you're always so quiet . . . but if it takes me getting-" He erupted into a large series of coughing, his body shaking and blood flecks spraying everywhere. A few landed on Rei's shirt; she barely batted an eyelid.

"-getting hit by a car . . to make us meet . . . then I guess it wasn't quite worth it . . ." he rasped. Rei stared blankly through her crimson eyes at this pale boy, who had come into her life in such a bizarre way. He would probably leave in the same fashion too; and soon.

Maya had walked around to the front of the car, and was gaping at the bonnet. There was an incredible dent in the front; she'd almost think she'd run into a steel telephone pole than a teenage boy. It wasn't possible! The damage was so severe that Maya wasn't sure the Bug would run; despite the upgraded thick steel bonnet. Ir just didn't seem possible that a fourteen or fifteen year old boy could have almost crippled a Bug going at seventy kilometres an hour. Maya glanced over at Rei and the boy, who seemed to be talking despite the severity of the situation.

The raven-haired woman managed to recover from her shock and had run over to the two teenagers.

"Rei, NERV isn't that far away. We can take him in my car; he should be alright, providing we keep him blindfolded," she said quickly. Rei turned to Maya.

"Are you certain of your idea, Miss Ibuki?" Rei said quietly. "You know the rules of NERV; Commander Ikari will not approve."

"But I can't just let him die!" Maya wailed. Rei looked back at the youth.

"He may die anyway," she said simply. The youth let out a gross chuckle, and shook his head weakly.

"I won't die today," he whispered. "I am important . . ." His next words were barely audible.

"Important . . . to Third Impact . . ."

IceBlade28: Boom! Cliffhanger!

Maya: That poor boy! How could you make me run over him!

IceBlade28 pats Maya on back There, there. It was necessary to the story. And just a little trivia: The part mentioning the soccer-playing boys on the netball courts . . . raises hand guilty.

Maya: You play _soccer_ on the _netball_ courts?

IceBlade28: It's not like there's ever any netball actually _played_ on the netball courts! So we just commandeered them and now we play soccer on them.

Maya: Weird . . .

IceBlade28: Well, that's Tasmania for you. Now tell the nice readers about the next chapter.

Maya: Well, Asuka and Shinji catch up with Ritsuko, and the author fiddles around with the plot and adds extra twists to the Angel attack. Maya and Rei are in a race against time to save the life of this boy who has crashed no pun intended into their lives, and what happened to Maya's car? And what did the boy mean, important to Third Impact?

IceBlade28: Hope to see you all in the next chapter! Reviews are much appreciated!


	3. Chapter III

IceBlade28: Well, after leaving it longer than I should've, I brought it back. Behold! The third chapter of Do You Really Know Me?

Maya: You did leave it a long time.

IceBlade28: I had a really bad writers block; but, after thinking about Evangelion for quite a time and reading quality fics, I came up with an appropriate story arc. Let's get it started!

**Do You Really Know Me?**

Ritsuko typed a command into the MAGI, sifting through her files until she found the previous synch scores of Asuka and Shinji. The two had already suited up despite the usual bickering by Asuka, and were resting in the Evangelions' entry plugs, ready to start the synch test. Misato was standing next to her, watching the enlarged computer screen.

"Wanna place some money on who wins?" she joked. "I've got twelve yen on Shinji." Ritsuko didn't look up.

"I dunno. Asuka's pretty mad about being beaten last time; her anger might push her to victory," the blonde woman countered. Misato grinned.

"C'mon, Ritsuko, put your yen where your mouth is," she said. The scientist finally looked up.

"Fine. Twenty yen on Asuka," Ritsuko said, bored. Misato grabbed her friend's hand and shook it, to have Ritsuko pull it away and type more on the computer. After a command or two she pulled the microphone close to her mouth; it led straight to the radio in the entry plug.

"Everything's ready. Begin the synchronisation tests, but be quick: there's already an Angel advancing." Ritsuko said. Asuka flicked over to Shinji's frequency.

"Ready to lose, baka?" she said. Shinji shrugged, even though Asuka couldn't see it.

"I guess so," he said complacently, knowing it would infuriate his co-pilot more.

"Oh come on Shinji! At least try! Gimme a little competition; it's no fun when I cream you!" Asuka bragged over the radio.

"Less chatter and more synchronising! There's an Angel at our doorsteps, remember?" Misato ordered. Shinji sighed and shook his head, beginning the synchronisation progress.

In the bridge, Misato watched their synch ratios grow, matching their previous scores and surpassing them- just. Asuka's growth was explosive, whereas the Third Child's seemed erratic. He make it in the end, but the ratio was jerky and unreliable on screen.

"Ritsuko, you see that?" Misato asked, not taking her eyes off the screen. Ritsuko barely batted an eyelid.

"It's nothing; you should've seen his first attempt at synching. He's probably got something on his mind, just leave him be," Ritsuko said. Misato sighed.

"Captain Katsuragi!" Hyuga shouted. "The Angel's reached the shore of Tokyo-3, heading straight for the Geofront!" Misato cursed, raising an eyebrow from Ritsuko. The former grabbed the mike, shouting into the Eva's radios.

"We're out of time; the Angel's reached Tokyo-3! Hang on!" she said. Shinji extended a control; Unit 01 reached out and grabbed a rifle while Asuka went for the more medieval style: a spear.

"Eva launch!" Misato bellowed. The two behemoths stood on the elevator's and were shot several kilometres to the surface.

The elevator's popped onto street level, while the Eva's grabbed their respective umbilical cables and plugged themselves in.

"Now, where's this big scary Angel?" Asuka said mockingly. Shinji flicked on his radio.

"Misato said it's just reached the shore, so we might wanna check by the ocean," he suggested.

"Shut up Shinji! I can handle this mission by myself; I don't need some tag-along!" Asuka spat, piloting Unit 02 at a sprinter's pace through the streets. Shinji was hard pressed to keep up, but they'd reached the ocean in a matter of seconds. The Angel was standing amongst a battalion of aircraft, launching missiles and rocket-propelled-grenades and who-knows-what-else-that-goes-'bang' at it. But, as it had happened every time before, the octagonal shield of the AT field came into play and prevented all damage to the Angel.

"Now, sit back and be a good baka while I show you how it's done!" Asuka ordered, taking a flying leap towards the Angel. The blue creature turned it's eye towards the descending Unit 02 with it's spear before Israfel's vision split. Along with the entire Angel.

Asuka dunked her spear in the cove, washing the Angel blood off it.

"_That's_ how it's done," Asuka said. Shinji didn't think it was possible to make a four-hundred-foot biomechanical robot swagger, but Asuka got pretty close.

"So, Third, whadd'ya learn this time?" she said cockily, pulling a length of umbilical cord towards her. Shinji moved his Eva's finger to point at the bleeding Angel.

"That it's never as easy as you think," he mumbled.

"What're you going on about now?" Asuka said impatiently, turning to see what her co-pilot was pointing at. The tainted water was drawing back towards Israfel's corpse, and the sound of snapping bones was loud and a little disturbing.

"What's it doing?" Shinji said. Asuka watched, the tip of the spear resting on the road beneath Unit 02's feet. It didn't take her long to figure out just what was happening.

"It's regenerating, baka! Get moving!" she yelled. Shinji waded into the water and fired a car-sized bullet out of the rifle; it pinged off the AT field, leaving an orange glow but no penetration. Asuka was nearly up to the Eva's waist in water and swinging with the spear.

"Baka, why're you waiting? Shoot!" Asuka ordered. Shinji remained in the shallows, watching Israfel regenerate into a grey and an orange copy of itself.

"Multiple targets," Shinji murmured to himself, bringing the rifle up and ready. Kou motored through the water, it's flipper-like appendages reaching towards Unit 01. Asuka was busy fending off Otsu by keeping her spear between them.

"Shoot you baka! Shoot!" she howled. Shinji came out of his trance and yanked the trigger repeatedly, feeling the vibrations all the way to the cockpit. Bullets shot towards Kou's eye, but the AT field again got in the way.

"I mustn't run away, I mustn't run away," Shinji said to himself, desperation starting to come towards him as the bullets weakened but did not break Kou's shield.

The click of an ammo-less rifle was not the best thing Shinji could've heard at that point. Kou extended a flipper and swung it down; it cut through the water and knocked Unit 01's legs out from under it. With it's second flipper Kou grabbed Shinji and threw him casually over it's 'shoulder', snapping the Eva's umbilical cord and leaving it stuck upside down on a mountain side.

Asuka swung her spear hard into the AT field of Otsu, doing absolutely nothing. Finally, she flung her entire Eva on top of Otsu. It was a desperate move, one she'd look back on and think 'Why on earth did I do that?'

It might actually have worked if Kou hadn't snapped the trailing umbilical cord, grabbed Unit 02 around the waist and tossed her into the ocean, where it's head sunk deep into the mud beneath the water.

-----

Misato groaned as she saw each development; the bickering, the initial strike, and especially the regeneration. Now Shinji's Eva was powerless and upside down, and as good as Asuka claimed to be there was no way she could take on two Angel's at once.

"Ritsuko, you done analysing that thing yet?" Misato snapped. The sound of fingers on a keyboard hadn't ceased since the moment the Angel was spotted.

"Kind of. Why?" Ritsuko said.

"Because we need to stall!" Misato shouted, turning to Vice Commander Fuyutsuki.

"Vice Commander, permission to implement the strategy outlined to you earlier sir!" Misato said, snapping to attention. Fuyutsuki nodded, and Misato sent a hurried command into a walkie-talkie.

-----

A bomber soared overhead Kou and Otsu, who were standing conveniently close after removing Unit 02 from the top of Otsu.

"Eagle Twelve, dropping the package," the pilot spoke into his oxygen mask.

"Roger that, Eagle Twelve. Drop the package, and try to contain both targets," Misato ordered over the radio.

"Roger that Captain. Dropping the package," the pilot responded, swerving overhead the Angel's and pressing a big red button on the top of his joystick.

The clasps under the wing popped open and 'the package' fell towards Kou and Otsu.

"Package dropped," the pilot said.

"We'll need a visual confirmation of the package's effectiveness, Pilot. Fly by once to survey any damage," Misato said.

"Roger that," said the pilot, tilting his joystick and feeling the bomber strafe. He peered out the cockpit window, down where the N2 mine should've done _something_.

Fortunately for NERV, the N2 mine had blown a crater into the earth, made the water incredibly murky, and what looked like melted the two back together.

"Eagle Twelve to NERV," the pilot murmured. "I think the package has caused the creature to revert to a single target." Eagle Twelve was quickly proven wrong as Kou and Otsu separated with the sound of cracking bones and something wet being squished.

"Or not," he said, humour lilting his reply. "The Angel is injured, and retreating into the ocean to regrow. The package incurred medium to heavy damage to the targets."

"Well done, Eagle Twelve. Return to base," Misato ordered.

"Roger that, Captain," the pilot said, gunning the accelerator and flying back to NERV.

Gendo shook his head at the bridge computer screen and called down to Misato.

"Captain, call your pilot back. I'm sending an air support team out to retrieve Unit's 01 and 02. Your pilot can help." Misato scowled into her walkie-talkie, but she did as Gendo ordered. He was the Commander after all, even if he did hate his son and treat his employees like garbage.

"Eagle Twelve, your orders have been changed. You are to remain above the Eva units until the air support team arrives to retrieve them," Misato barked.

"Roger that, Captain Katsuragi. Over and out," the pilot finished, turning his bomber back towards the battleground. Just when the worst part of his day was over, they had to spring this on him.

-----

"You have your card key with you, I presume?" Rei said, her voice strained. The teenage boy they'd hit was heavier then she'd expected. Maya nodded, retrieving her identification card and swiping it through the clasp; the door opened.

Maya led Rei through a myriad of corridors, unknown to the schoolgirl until they entered the hospital area. Rei's pace slowed to a stagger; her eyes closed and she refused to look at the boy anymore. She couldn't take the sight of his blood, the smell, the red of it, she couldn't stand it anymore.

"No more," Rei droned, before letting her classmate slip from her arms and crash onto the floor. Maya turned back to see what the commotion was.

"Rei! What'd you-"

"He was heavy. While I am capable of piloting both Evangelion Unit 00 and Unit 01, I am afraid my physical strength was not sufficient to carry that load for the necessary period of time," she explained in her emotionless knell. Maya knelt by the cringing boy's side.

"Where am . . . why . . ." he moaned. The lieutenant placed a hand against the boy's cheeks.

"Not good. He's got a fever. Rei, I need you to help me move him!" Maya pleaded. Rei stood where she was, her wet clothing sticking to her.

"I have let the threat of an Angel slide to help this boy from my class. It is almost certain he will die. You are nine years older than I. You posess the strength to move him. Take him to the First Cranial Nerve, if it is what you wish. I have no further business here. Goodbye Lieutenant Ibuki," Rei said coldly, turning and walking down the hallway. Maya was stunned.

"Rei! You'd just let one of your classmates die?" Maya shouted. Rei didn't reply or even confirm that she'd heard Maya's shout. The technician turned back to the whimpering boy.

"I know I'm awake," the victim whispered. "I can hear my voice, I know I am speaking- but I can't see. Oh, please, don't tell me I'm blind! Hello? Anybody! Someone please-"

"I'm here," Maya said urgently. "C'mon, you need medical help . . Doctor Akagi can fix you up, I'm sure of it." The boy turned to where the sound came from; he was looking about a foot to the left of Maya's face but it seemed accurate to him.

"You're not blind, just blindfolded," Maya explained, running down the last stretch of hallway with the boy in her arms. "I had to make sure you couldn't see anything; civilians aren't allowed anywhere near here."

"Then why am I . . here?" the boy asked, starting to lose feeling in his extremities. Maya would've squirmed if she wasn't carrying him.

"I hit you with my car, and I couldn't just let you die!" Maya cried, kicking open the door to the medical wing and alerting all occupants within. Rather, all occupant; singular. Ritsuko placed her coffee on the table and turned to look at Maya, her eyebrows raised.

"Any reason you're kicking the door down lately, Maya?" she asked dryly. It took a surprisingly long time for someone like Ritsuko Akagi to realise that her good friend was holding a bleeding and limp body in her arms.

"Who is this? What happened?" Ritsuko snapped, knocking her coffee off the table in her haste. Maya's legs were shaking; she managed to dump the teenager on the bed before breaking down and crying.

"I hit him with my car," she managed. "I was driving quick . . to get Rei here so she could pilot against the Angel, and I hit him . . . I couldn't just let him die!" Maya wept. Ritsuko shook her head angrily.

"And the blindfold was supposed to do something? This place is top secret for a reason, Maya!" she said. Maya looked at her boss, not quite sure what to say. Ritsuko shook her head and strode to a cabinet.

"There's only one thing I can do, Maya," the Akagi said. The brown-haired lieutenant took it as a bad sign that Ritsuko hadn't even bothered to check the boy's wounds. After rummaging for a short while, Ritsuko stood up straight, her hands hidden in front of her.

The sound of a loaded pistol punched through Maya's stupor of thought.

"Excuse me," the boy rasped from his position on the bed. Ritsuko and Maya both turned to their visitor, who was breathing shallowly.

"I don't blame you for hitting me with the car," the boy said, his blindfold wrinkling. Maya figured out that his eyelids were fluttering; he wouldn't be alive long now.

"I was in the wrong place at the- the wrong time," he whispered. "'Sides, better I die by a car then from an Angel or shot by whoever's got the-"

A gunshot echoed through the room, and Maya screamed. Her scream was matched by that of the boy's; he grunted as the tendons in his neck stood out.

"That- no- it- you _won't_-!" he strained, pain jumbling his sentences. Ritsuko frowned at the boy, his blood dripping onto the covers. A second gunshot sounded, along with another scream from Maya.

"_Please_-" the boy wept, curling into a ball on the bed. Impatience was clear on Ritsuko's face as she shot the boy a third time.

"_Stop!_" he screamed, his hands balling into fists and writhing around. The blindfold came off in the struggle, and the dying child got his first and last look at his killer.

"Dr. _Akagi_?" he coughed, feeling pain scour his insides as effectively as a steel brush. Ritsuko paused and lowered the gun.

"What? You didn't think I knew how to use a firearm?" she mocked. "Pathetic."

"No," the boy said, well aware that these may well be his last words. "I knew you could use a firearm . . . I'm just surprised Maya's working for an absolute bitc-"

An additional two gunshots cut out his final words, as well as his life. Apart from the steady drip of blood onto the floor, everything was quiet. Maya was reduced to a shaking, sobbing ball against the wall, and Ritsuko put the safety on the pistol back on.

"It had to be done, Maya," Ritsuko said dismissively. "You know NERV's policy." Ritsuko's underling didn't respond; she just hugged her knees and cried.

Ritsuko tossed the gun on the table and left the room, toying with the idea of heading for Misato's apartment to see Misato 'debrief' Asuka and Shinji for performing to such remarkable standards during the Angel counter-attack.

She decided against it.

-----

The Second and Third Children weren't the only ones in the apartment. Their commanding officer, most of their schoolmates (consisting of Hikari, Aida and Toji) and a curious (and typically hungry) Pen Pen resided by a small table. The penguin was quite happy to be bounced up and down in Hikari's hands; Rei was reading her little red book again despite the blood on her clothes, and the two boys were watching Asuka and Shinji make fools of themselves. It was entertaining; not to let either of them know.

"How are the co-ordination drills going?" Hikari chirped, bouncing Pen Pen on her lap.

"Not very well, as you can see," Misato said, gesturing towards the pair of pilots. The group took one look at them before letting out a sigh; Rei still didn't look up from her book.

"_Shight_!" Asuka yelled, and a pair of headphones skidded across the floor and underneath the table, bumping against Rei's knee. Rei frowned, but did not look up from her book.

"Wark," Pen Pen said, turning to face Asuka and motioning in her general direction with a flipper. If Asuka could understand Penguin, she probably would have smacked him and swore some more regardless.

"Well, this is just a waste of time! There's no chance I could sink to the level of this animated turnip!" she huffed, pointing dramatically at Shinji. The fact that he'd faceplanted into the mat caused snorts from an undisclosed person.

(For the sake of this retelling, I'll not disclose the name of the snorter, lest Asuka perform painful and uncalled-for deeds to said person.)

"If you ask me, the whole idea's impossible!" Asuka continued, glaring in the general direction of the mystery snort.

"_Did_ anyone ask you?" Toji muttered softly- but not softly enough to escape the attention of Asuka. Toji turned and purposefully made eye contact, before looking away and cringing. The look from her was so firey it would've neutered Rambo. Misato drank calmly from a can of Yebisu and closed her eyes, a distinct smile on her face.

"Rei?"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Why don't you try it?"

"Yes ma'am," Rei said, finally putting her book down and retrieving the headphones from against her knee. Asuka walked over and stood by Hikari and Pen Pen, a confident smirk on her face.

"Like Wondergirl's gonna do better than _me_," she said under her breath. Rei slipped on the headphones and forced herself not to look at Shinji. It was easier than she thought; anybody else would have been worried that the object of their affection was so easily shut out. To Rei, it proved that her duty was still more important than the stimuli she was fed with called 'emotions'.

The music began. Shinji felt none of the hostility normally eminating from his partner: instead, a cold, clear feeling, like a breeze or a glass of water. He could concentrate. He didn't even feel his hands move in time to the beat.

Asuka's eyes widened, and her cocksure grin slipped away from her face. The doll and Shinji were synching with each other! Was there no logic in this world!

"This- this can't be right!" Asuka stammered. "I don't care what it takes! I'm piloting this mission!" Misato raised an eyebrow.

"You're willing to do whatever it takes?" she said. Hikari smiled at her friend and nodded encouragement.

"Yes!" Asuka shouted. "As long as it's me that fights the Angel and not Wondergirl!"

"Don't call her that," Misato said, irked. "And whether you're willing to do anything or not is irrelevant. Rei will be piloting this mission."

"_What!_"

"You heard me, Asuka. Rei is piloting in your place, since it's clear you can't work with Shinji. 'There's no chance of sinking to the level of an animated turnip', remember?" Misato said. It was clear she was loving this. Asuka just stood there, ignoring the 'beep's of synchronisation from the equipment. She was about to work herself into a good fit when something cold and leathery slapped her bare calf, making her jump.

"Wark wark," Pen Pen said, looking up at her with stern penguin eyes. Pen Pen was still intent on making his point about language clear to the German with a potty-mouth.

He shrank into a ball on Hikari's lap when he saw the look in Asuka's eye, nuzzling closer to Hikari.

"Awww, it's okay!" Hikari cooed, stroking the back of his head. Pen Pen stared at Hikari's brown eyes before letting out a frightened 'Wark!' and burrowing his way inside Hikari's shirt.

"Hey!" Hikari complained, pulling at the fabric. Pen Pen was curled into a ball around Hikari's stomach and had the shirt pulled tight around him and her body.

"Whoooooaaaaa, he's cold!" Hikari giggled. "You gonna come out, Pen Pen?" she asked the ball, prodding it. A muffled 'Wark' came from within her clothes.

"Hey!" Hikari said, starting to lose patience. "Come out!"

"Wark."

"I said out!"

"Wark!"

"_Out!_"

"Waaaaaaaark!" Pen Pen squealed and wriggled through the gap between two shirt buttons, ripping one out in the process and waddling away fast. Hikari sighed and rebuttoned her shirt.

"He was a cold lil' fella!" she shivered, looking at Toji.

Not a single person had noticed Asuka's absense for the last five minutes.

-----

Asuka sat against the railing of the school balcony, staring out at the bay. Traces of Angel blood could still be seen.

"Not good enough, pah," Asuka spat, pouting. "Stupid Major _dummkopf_. Like I couldn't out-pilot Wondergirl or Shinji any day of the week."

Asuka continued to mutter and rant under her breath, working herself into a nice, strong pout. It was always fun to get a good bad mood going.

She'd been rejected. Already. Her value to NERV could have fallen by a large amount today. Still, she'd get her revenge. Or rather, she'd have her fun. Rei and Shinji piloting together on this mission could be the perfect opportunity to 'gently nudge' the two together.

Asuka giggled to herself. Shinji and Wondergirl. She still couldn't believe it. The best part was, her bad mood hadn't been spoiled: it had turned into one of those 'evil-plotty' moods. There would be a great many uncomfortable silences in the times to come, and Asuka planned to be there to soak in every one.

IceBlade28: Well, that's chapter III of Do You Really Know Me up. I'm sorry about the wait, and I hope this story arc is appropriate. To those worrying that Asuka's going to take on an 'evil, OOC matchmaker' role, don't. She will do no such thing. Everybody will be as they should, with maybe Pen Pen taking a more active role as comic relief.

Maya: Reviews would be awesome!


	4. Chapter IV

IceBlade28: After a long while and a recent bike ride along a riverbank, here is Chapter IV of Do You Really Know Me?. I like this fic far too much to just let it go.

Maya: Well, if the reviews are anything to go by, other people like this fic too.

IceBlade28: You're sweet. Let's get it started!

**Do You Really Know Me?**

Asuka sat on her bed, wearing her yellow sundress as she typed a few notes to herself on the laptop. Out of paranoia, she had changed the password constantly and even added a firewall or two, so nobody could find out what she was doing. Unless they took it to Ritsuko; and Asuka saw no reason why they would do that. She was just . . . easing them into a beneficiary relationship. A little love in their lives wouldn't kill them.

Asuka highlighted a portion of kanji and stared at it, before erasing a few words and changing them to suit her ideas. She grinned. The Third Child had the emotional range of nervous, scared, spineless, occasionally pensive and berserk, although the tale about Shinji and the Fourth Angel had probably been exaggerated. Besides, the whole 'berserk' thing really didn't fit Shinji.

Asuka grinned at her laptop and saved her work. Things would heat up soon enough. She just needed to find an excuse to get the First Child near Shinji. Speaking of the devil-

"Um, Asuka, I'm sorry to barge in like this, I just-" Shinji stammered, opening the door. Asuka whipped her head around and slammed the lid of her computer shut.

"You're sorry for barging in?! Well, you're right about barging in! Don't you knock, baka?! I could've been getting changed!" she shouted.

"But- you're in your dress," Shinji said. Asuka faltered a little, but her typical anger flashed back up soon enough.

"That doesn't matter!" she said, storming towards the Third Child. "Just get _out!_" she howled, pushing Shinji out of the room and slamming the paper door. She stood at the edge, watching Shinji's silhouette linger for a moment, before fading away. He'd gone.

Asuka breathed a sigh of relief. It was a little harsher than she would usually react, but if Shinji had read the document . . . things could've gone very badly.

Asuka flopped on her back and let her legs hang over the two-inch high rim of her 'bed'- in reality a sleeping mat with a blanket tossed over the top. Knowing Misato, to help Wondergirl and Shinji 'synchronise' with each other, she'd have Rei move her stuff from her apartment to live here. It was just the way Misato's mind worked. And if all three Children were under the same roof, then Asuka could soak in every uncomfortable silence.

_Unless Misato kicks me out_, Asuka thought. The Major had been acting strangely towards this mission; maybe Misato would kick her out. If she did, she'd stay with . . . who? Hikari and her family? Kaji?

Reluctantly, Asuka turned her fantasies of Kaji off. She needed to stay focused on making the emotional life of Shinji Ikari a living hell. Or something of the sort.

Asuka glanced at the door as a muted knock sounded. Unless Shinji had grown a few inches and had major hair extensions, it probably wasn't him.

"Come in Misato," she chimed happily, flicking the laptop to the corner of the room with her bags. Misato slid open the door and walked in.

"What're you so happy about?" she asked suspiciously. Asuka grinned.

"Nothing. A girl can be happy when she feels like it, can't she?" she said innocently. The Major would buy it as one of Asuka's frequent mood swings. And she did.

"Well, sorry to spoil your fun Asuka, but I've got some news about the piloting against the Angel," Misato said neutrally. Asuka frowned.

"What is it?"

"Well, you do know Unit Zero is still recovering from the damage done by the Fifth Angel, so . . ." Asuka's grin widened; in the back of her mind, she was still frowning.

"So I have to pilot in my unit?" Asuka said. "Oh gee. I feel sorry for Wondergirl; she doesn't get to fight the Angel," she said mockingly. Misato laughed.

"Close, but wrong. Unit Two _is_ going to be piloted against the Seventh Angel . . ." Asuka froze. If Misato was hinting at what Asuka thought she was hinting at, then Asuka would have a particularly strong sulk going by the end of the minute.

"Rei is going to use Evangelion Unit Two. Ritsuko's already reconfiguring the data so it'll synchronise with her instead of you," Misato said. Asuka's eyes widened. The doll was going to use _her_ Eva? But only Asuka got to pilot Asuka's Eva! It was made in Germany, wasn't it? A German should pilot a German Evangelion!

"It's already done, so you can't do anything about it," Misato said, cutting short the storm in Asuka's eyes. "Rei will also be moving in for a little while, so we can start the training early." Asuka mentally cheered. She'd read Major _dummkopf_'s move perfectly.

"Try not to interfere, will you?" Misato said gently. Asuka continued to play the role of the downtrodden teenage girl, hanging her head and nodding. Misato knelt beside her.

"Hey," she said gently. "Cheer up. It's only this once; and there are definitely more Angel's out there. You'll get your chance." Asuka nodded again. Misato got to her feet.

"Can you do me a favour? Rei needs her stuff moved into Shinji's room, so I've already sent Hikari to her apartment. Can you give those two a hand shifting the boxes?" she asked. It'd put Asuka to work, at least.

"Fine, Misato," Asuka huffed, getting to her feet and storming out of the door. Misato sighed, and went to Shinji's room to give him a pep talk . . . of sorts.

-----

Hikari leant against the wall by Rei's door, sniffing. She'd just gotten a phone call from some Dr. Akagi person, who worked at NERV. Apparently her close friend, Yorishima, had been hit by a car on a street close to a NERV entrance. He was killed instantly. His family and close friends, including you, have been notified. There is a closed casket funeral scheduled in a few days. Thank you for listening.

It was a reminder that Tokyo-III was still a normal city. Sure, it could sink into the Geofront at a moments notice, and had gargantuan beings with impenetrable shields rampaging through on a regular basis, but it was weird to think that someone could still wind up dead from something as innocent as a car accident. To complicate things, Asuka should be there shortly, she needed to put her chin up, stop crying-

"Hey, Hikari- are you crying?" Asuka asked, trotting up the concrete steps. Hikari nodded, continuing to sniffle and stare at her feet.

"What happened?" Asuka asked, concerned. Matchmaking and general plotting would be put aside for the moment; Hikari was her best friend, and her comfort was the immediate, if temporary, priority.

"I just got a call . . . one of my friends- you know, um . . Yorishima . . . I just found out he died," Hikari whimpered. Asuka thought for a moment, before wincing. She'd noticed Yorishima around the classroom; sociable, cute, probably the only actual Christian left in Tokyo-III, always had a smile on his face. Actually, except for the cute part, he was a lot like a religious Shinji- but Yorishima had a spine.

"I'm sorry, Hikari. He was a nice guy," the Second Child said. _I think_, she added silently. Asuka didn't know him that well, but she knew Hikari and Yorishima had been close. He was basically the only guy who knew about the Class Representative's crush on Toji. That's not to say all the girls didn't know, but every boy in the class was clueless. It said a lot to Asuka about the gender in general.

"He was hit by a car, close to a NERV entrance . . ." Hikari said, wiping her eyes. Asuka frowned. There weren't usually any cars close to NERV entrances, unless you included car lifts. But what would Yorishima have been doing near a car lift?

"I'll look into this for you, I promise," Asuka said gently, making a mental note. Looks like she's going to be burning the candle at both ends. Hikari sniffed and put her arms around Asuka.

"Thank you," she said. Sometimes that was all that needed to be said.

"Let's get the First Child's stuff up to Misato's place, then; get this chore over with," Asuka grumbled. You were supposed to use boys to do the heavy labour- they were the ones with the brawn and no brains.

"You mean Ayanami?" Hikari asked, knocking on Rei's door. Asuka nodded. There was a muted slide and click, before the door opened and Rei stood at the entrance, in her school clothes. Asuka snorted with laughter, trying to keep it back.

"It's a Saturday, Wondergirl. Why're you wearing school clothes?" Asuka laughed. Rei glanced once at Asuka; for someone who shows very little emotion, Rei's sharp look sent a chill down Asuka's back and cut her laughter off in it's prime.

"Why is she here?" Rei asked Hikari, after her glance at Asuka. Hikari wiped red-rimmed eyes.

"Did Misato call you? She's organised for you to move in with her and Shinji, so you two can start synchronisation training. We're here to help you move your stuff," Hikari said, trying to be her chirpy self. It didn't work well.

Rei stared at Asuka and Hikari, trying to decide what ghost of an emotion would be best displayed at an event like this. She settled on what she considered to be indifference, opening the door wide and standing aside to allow an over-arrogant German girl and an emotionally unstable Japanese Class Rep. into her apartment with armfulls of empty boxes.

"You'll only need three," Rei said quietly, leading them into her apartment. Asuka's mouth hung open, and Hikari's attempted cheeriness walked off a nearby cliff. Asuka turned on the spot, allowing herself multiple views of the apartment. _Sheesh_, she thought. _I've seen prison cells cheerier than this_!

Rei walked into her room and opened a drawer full of white lingerie and socks, most of which were already folded. Taking an empty box from Hikari, Rei began placing her clothes into the box.

Asuka wandered over to Rei's filing cabinet, something which Asuka considered to be an oddity. You don't keep a filing cabinet in your bedroom! You keep it in the office! On top of the filing cabinet was a glass of water, and a pair of glasses with case. The Second Child frowned. Since when did Rei need to wear glasses? Asuka reached out and picked the spectacles up gingerly, holding them in two hands.

"Don't touch those," Rei said, her subdued voice sounding uncharacteristically firm. Asuka picked up the subtle change and smirked.

"Why? There's nothing to be embarrassed about wearing glasses, First!" she teased. Rei reached out and took the glasses cleanly from Asuka's hands, frowning darkly. Cleaning a half-fingerprint from a lense with the edge of her shirt, Rei placed the glasses into the case and slowly closed the clasp.

"They aren't mine," Rei whispered, holding the case close to her heart for a moment, before slipping them into a side pocket on her skirt.

"Freakazoid," Asuka said under her breath, before seeing a full box of bloody bandages lying against the wall. _Ohhhhh,_ she moaned silently. _That's anything _but _hygenic! This isn't the Middle Ages, Wondergirl! We have hospitals! More importantly, we have disposable bins!_

Rei stripped her bed with alarming precision, folding the sheets and duvet nicely before placing them into a seperate box.

"Shall we go?" she asked neutrally, hefting a box in front of her. Hikari was desperate to say something about Rei's lack of posessions, but she kept it to herself, and the three girls trooped out of Ayanami's apartment and up towards the new residence of the Children.

-----

Shinji lounged on the sofa, allowing the world to drain away in the murmuring comfort of Vorspier, played by someone who knew what they were doing with a cello. He saw Misato pause by an open cabinet, and watched her pop and down a can of Yebisu without batting an eyelid. Typical Misato.

He didn't count on the Major walking over to the sofa and sitting next to him, facing him with a gentle look on his face. Shinji flicked the 'Pause' button on his SDAT and pulled the earphones from his ears.

"Did you want to talk to me?" he asked. Misato nodded.

"Shinji, I understand you're a little nervous about having Rei and Asuka under the same roof as you," she started. Shinji had already placed his head against the back of the sofa, a distant look in his eyes.

"But I'm going to be living here too; this is my apartment, after all," Misato said. "I'll help you and Rei synchronise with each other, so you can beat this Angel. Asuka won't be here very often, I promise." The words eased Shinji's doubts, but not much.

"I . . . I can't concentrate with Asuka around. It's like she . . . oh, I don't know," he said, unwilling to give words to his feelings.

"But with Rei?" Misato prompted. Shinji closed his eyes, and he smiled slightly. He remembered how he'd felt when Rei was beside him on the training mats, instead of Asuka. How she hadn't spoken, just breathed slowly and moved in time, how seeing her next to him, knowing this shy girl was beside him removed all the pressure and allowed Shinji to think clearly. How could he word that?

"With Rei, I . . . she . . it's easier," Shinji said. "I know this mustn't make any sense to you, but it does to me." Misato smiled.

"No, it makes sense. Asuka can be kind of intimidating."

"You can say that again," Shinji said, before realising he sounded a lot like a wimp. And realising that he actually cared if other people thought he was a wimp, if only a little.

"W-What I mean is-" he stammered, but Misato already had a devilish smile on her face.

"I guess I can be a little intimidating too," she said cheekily. "But maybe you like a woman with a little aggressiveness," she said, scooting closer to Shinji. Shinji watched the scene unfolding, unwanting to put up with Misato's teasing for the moment.

"Misato, I-" Misato watched the boy squirm, and she loved it. Teasing Shinji was fun, even if it was mean.

"Or maybe you like the mysterious kind of girl," she said, leaning back for a second. "I've noticed you giving Rei some interesting looks-"

"I am not!" Shinji defended, getting to his feet. "I don't need this! It'll be hard enough piloting the Eva without having some drunk nearly-thirty woman tease me all the time!"

Shinji fled to his room, and Misato froze in her position. Shinji was right. She was nearly thirty. Where had her life gone?

It didn't take long for her to remember. Yebisu, Kaji, college, and early memories she had blacked out with plenty of the first thing on the list.

Misato followed Shinji's route to his room, feeling a little guilty. Maybe she needed to take it easier on the teasing. She peered through the paper door; Shinji was lying on his bed with his arms under his pillow. There wasn't any sound coming from within, however, so Misato knew he wasn't crying.

"Shinji?" she said, opening the door. "Can I come in?"

There was a moment of hesitation.

"If you must," he said. Misato bit her lip at the heaviness in his voice, but she still slid open the door and sat beside him. Shinji's face was firmly scrunched in the pillow, and he acknowledged Misato's presence with a half-hearted grunt. Misato placed a hand on Shinji's head, smoothing his hair.

"Hey, I know I can be a little mean at times," she said softly. "But it's just a habit of mine. I'll keep it down if you want me to," she offered. Shinji rolled onto his side, allowing himself to see Misato's face.

"I just don't know what to feel," he admitted. "I mean, Rei and I are gonna be-"

"Hello Misato! We're back, with Wondergirl in tow!" came the chirpy shout. And judging by the sound after it, Asuka had slammed the door. Misato needed to remind her to take it easier on her door. Internally, Misato used one of her dirtier Japanese words. Just when Shinji was about to open up!

-----

Asuka had to work hard to keep her act up. Shinji and Wondergirl would be in the same house for an extended period of time. She felt like putting on a black cape and some vampire fangs and rubbing her hands together like some bad cartoon villianess.

Hikari dumped her box on the table in the kitchen, before returning to the living room where Misato had just walked in.

"Hey Misato," she said, hoping her eyes weren't still red from crying. They were, and while Misato picked it up, she also chose not to say anything. Hikari's business was Hikari's business, after all.

"Hi Hikari. Thanks for helping move Rei's stuff up to our apartment," Misato said, watching Hikari carefully. The freckled girl managed to work up a genuine smile; not bad, considering one of her best friends had died yesterday.

"Don't worry about it. I'm always happy to help, and I hope the coordination drills with Rei and Shinji go well!" chirruped the class reprasentative. Misato smiled back as Hikari walked out the door, and Misato happily noted that it was shut with a click rather than a boom.

"Rei, you'll be rooming with Shinji, okay? He's down this way," Misato said, flicking her head to show Asuka to follow them with her box. The redhead grumbled something in German, shifted her box and followed a semi-sober buxom Major and a crimson-eyed schoolgirl down a hallway. Down towards Shinji.

Asuka resisted the urge to don the cape and fangs again. Oh, the teasing and carefully-spiked words that could be delivered in such a situation! She had to think quickly, because Misato was already sweeping open the door-

"Shinji? We're here," the Major said, smiling gently as she walked in. Rei followed close behind, and spared Shinji a brief flick of her eyes before placing her box next to her sleeping mat and standing still. Asuka watched the interaction with the eye of a tactician, factoring every flick of the eye, the atmospheric changes, everything.

Shinji met Asuka's gaze; the redhead glanced at Rei then back to Shinji, even giving a cocky tweak of the eyebrows on the return. Shinji turned pink, clearly flustered, and Asuka smirked. One point to her.

"Well, I'd hate to interrupt any _bonding time_ between these two lovebirds, so I'll just slip out, shall I?" she asked Misato in a casual, but completely audible voice. Asuka also managed to watch Rei out of the corner of her azure eyes. Was there any change?

Yes. Asuka wouldn't have picked it up if she wasn't straining to see it. The subtle tightening of the mouth, the little flicker of- was it doubt?- behind those crimson eyes. Asuka's remarks had impacted on the doll, at least a little. Perhaps there was something there. Something Asuka could work with.

Rei, meanwhile, was working to keep her usual face. The Second Child was teasing, being her usual obnoxious self. She did not know of the stimulant chemicals that were currently being secreted within her brain by her subconscious, the liquids that caused Rei's heartbeat to increase fractionally and increase the current hidden 'emotion' she was experiencing towards the Third Child. She believed others called it 'affection'. And nothing she had done could possibly be construed as affectionate towards Shinji. Exactly as it should be.

Or would have been, if Asuka hadn't picked up on that faint ghost that lingered behind Rei's eyes. Shinji, however, was a blushing, stuttering mess.

"Wh-wha? A-Asuka, since . . . what . . . I-I-I do not!" he stammered, his vocabulary enjoying a sunny vacation in an island south of Fiji. Misato would've chuckled if she hadn't hurt Shinji's feelings about ten minutes ago with her own brand of teasing.

"Alright Asuka, you've had your fun. Go work on your kanji studies in your room; I need to talk with these two," Misato said firmly. Asuka winked at Rei, savouring her small frown before turning tail and skipping out of Shinji's room.

Upon reaching her own room and making sure she was occupied, Asuka burst out laughing. Their reactions had been priceless!! What was more, they had followed her plan to the letter. There was nothing comparable to the thrill of seeing your plan fulfilled by the letter- or in this case character- with the gentlest nudge in that direction. The doll had a soft spot for Shinji, she was sure of it. Or at least the half-emotion that Rei felt.

"Well, Wondergirl," Asuka said aloud, opening her laptop and typing a few more characters. "I'm far from finished with you . . . I'll make a lovergirl out of you yet."

-----

In the middle of the debriefing by Misato, Rei felt a cold chill run through her chest and into her very soul.

She then sneezed.

"Bless you," Misato said graciously, before continuing on with her report.

IceBlade28: I've heard that when somebody is talking about you without your knowledge, you either feel a chill or sneeze. Going by experience, it makes sense to me!

Maya: There wasn't any Pen Pen in this chapter!

IceBlade28: Huh, I guess not. He'll make an appearance in the next chapter.

Maya: Well, you saw Asuka's first move this chapter; the next will feature Pen Pen as a happy cohort and the start of the synchronisation training. The next chapter will come quickly, we promise!!

IceBlade28: I've already got ideas for Chapter V. Thanks for reading, and a review would be great!


	5. Chapter V

IceBlade28: You asked, you receive. Another chapter of Do You Really Know Me?. And I'd like to take the chance to openly apologise about three factual errors I've incorporated into previous chapters. One, that Misato Katsuragi is _not yet_ a Major- at this point in the timeline she is still a Captain. Two, that Toji _is_ a really nice guy and close friend to Shinji after Shamshel attacks, and three, that twelve and twenty yen respectively is basically jack all for betting purposes (although I _really_ should've picked that up in editing. What was I thinking?!).

Now that my apologies are out of the way, I will introduce my muse and close friend, Maya Ibuki. Maya, will you do the honours?

Maya: With pleasure. Start the fic!

**Do You Really Know Me?**

Asuka pinched the pliers shut, slowly peeling a layer of rubber away from the wires. She was sabotaging the synchronisation pad that Wondergirl would be using. Nothing to give her an electric shock or anything, just bumping the difficulty up a notch or four. Asuka tweaked a few more things before smirking and closing the panel. Wondergirl would have to grow another couple of limbs to be able to do something _this_ fast.

The best part was, there was no way she could be caught until the test was being done. Misato was away on NERV business, Rei was in the shower, and Shinji was away with Toji and Kensuke. Asuka was alone-

Until something cold and furry burrowed up her shirt.

Asuka screamed and yanked the squawking penguin out from on her stomach.

"Perverted penguin! Stay away!!" she shrieked, throwing the quacking penguin into the kitchen. Rubbing her chilled stomach, the redhead fretted that the baka penguin may have stretched out her tight blue shirt; it was extremely form fitting, and the lesser males- Shinji included- often said it brought out her eyes. After all, it caused more than one pair of eyes to follow her when she wore it, including Kaji's at one point.

Asuka tweaked a wire, crossing here, severing there, reconnecting over there, until she was satisfied. It'd take an electrician to catch her handiwork, and why would an electrician be poking around Misato's flat? Maybe if she brought one home he might, but he'd definitely be too preoccupied with being drunk and having a probably more intoxicated Misato tugging him towards the bedroom.

Asuka closed the hatch quietly, listening hard. There was silence. Asuka bit her lip, twisting the screws as fast as her fingers would work. Silence meant there was no running water. No running water meant Rei was out of the shower. Rei out of the shower might mean she'd come into the lounge room. Rei in the lounge room would catch Asuka messing with important equipment.

That would be what was generally accepted to the occupants of Misato's flat as rights for grounding. Asuka had no desire to be grounded, so she picked up a power drill she'd brought along and quickly rescrewed the screws, wincing as the whine sounded down the hallway.

Asuka slid the drill into a corner in the kitchen, hearing footsteps come down the hall. She got to her feet quickly as Rei walked out in a simple white shirt and skirt.

"Hey First," Asuka said amiably. "Enjoy your shower?" Rei paused, sensing danger. Asuka was rarely amiable, especially to her. Maybe she wanted something. Or maybe she was going to cause trouble.

"It was adequate," Rei said quietly. Asuka tried out her trademark cocky smirk; it came out a little tentative, but it did the trick.

"What was the whining?" Rei asked. Asuka froze, trying to control her reaction.

"Whining?" she said innocently.

"I distinctly heard a whining sound, like a power drill," Rei said. Though her tone didn't change, Asuka felt like Rei was insisting. Odd for a doll to be insistent about something.

"A-A whining sound?" Asuka stammered, thinking fast. Crap. She stammered. Stammering may as well burn an 'I Am Guilty' brand on her face.

"O-Oh, that whining sound! That was, uh, the- the can opener! Yeah!" Asuka said. "I was, um, I was opening a can of sardines. For Pen-Pen." Rei stared Asuka down, and Asuka struggled not to bite her fist as the same shrill whining sound came from the kitchen, loud and clear.

"Penguins cannot use can openers," Rei said simply, walking into the kitchen. Asuka followed, wondering how the heck the power drill was going off.

The two Children arrived to see Pen-Pen on the table, hugging and nuzzling the power drill. The penguin had a flipper through the pistol grip and let out happy squawks as it whined and vibrated. Asuka sweatdropped. Now the penguin loved the power drill? The whole house was going crazy.

Rei stared for a good twenty seconds at the penguin and the drill. Asuka was staring too; a sight like this isn't one you see every day. Nor did twenty seconds seem like long enough to comprehend just how weird the penguin had become.

After a minute, Asuka came to her senses and began to creep away. She was nearly at the exit to the kitchen when Rei spoke.

"There is no sardine can anywhere in sight, and the can opener has not been used,"   
Rei said, still staring at Pen-Pen. Asuka stiffened. She'd been caught lying, but Rei didn't know about the alterations to the synchronisation machine. How could she? All she could know was that Asuka was lying about something.

Asuka ignored Rei and stalked down to her room, where she shut the paper door and lay on her bed, breathing heavily. Too close. Way too close. But her mission had been a success. Rei would have a lovely surprise when she got on that mat.

The German opened her laptop and began typing characters. A journal of exploits needs to be frequently updated. Not just for posterity, but for rainy days when she needs a good laugh.

Asuka glanced at the clock, frowning. There was something she was supposed to do at this time; it was sending a little red flag up in her brain.

Until it clicked. The funeral. Yorishima's funeral. Hikari. It had started ten minutes ago. She was late!

-----

Hikari is standing next to the closed casket, trying not to cry. Most of Yorishima's friends have turned out to the funeral; most of the rest of the class have come because they don't want to be stuck alone on a Saturday. And then there is the expected few who come for the food and nothing else. The speaker's have gone past, each commemorating Yorishima in their own way. Now it's her turn, as Class President. She's standing behind a podium in front of a crowd wearing black, with the body of her friend lying in a casket next to her.

There really aren't many situations that suck more than this.

_What'm I supposed to do, say 'Hi, I'm Hikari, and this guy was the only boy who knew about my crush on Toji- too bad he's dead'?_ Hikari thought wildly. _Why'd Yorishima have to get hit by a car?_

"Y-Yorishima was a good student," she said. Then followed about thirty seconds of silence while she tried to stop herself choking up. Not as easy a task as it sounds. Hikari sniffed, and a tear rolled down her cheek. Was that all she could say? 'Yorishima was a good _student_?' She screamed at herself to speak, to say anything.

"H-He tried hard at everything he did, and everybody knew him as a good person. He will be missed," she said, sounding terribly formal. Every time she wiped a tear from her eye, two more sprang into place.

Hikari chanced a look up, and saw a welcome sight: Asuka had slipped into the back of the congregation and was smiling, giving her encouragement. _You can do it_. Her red hair was bright and bold in contrast to the surprisingly chaste black dress Asuka was wearing. Hikari felt her load lift.

"I guess it'll be a little longer before we all see him again," she said quietly. "But you'll meet him in heaven, each one of you. I'm sure of it." Even though it was odd for a typical Japanese girl to believe in a Western religious concept, Hikari quite liked the idea of a place of paradise after this life. She stepped down from the pulpit, as the funeral adjourned and everyone filed past the casket and paid their respects.

Hikari met Asuka by the casket, after everyone had gone to the school auditorium for the food and drink and cake. Funeral cake. What a weird idea.

"Thanks for coming," Hikari said, her eyes red-rimmed and teary. Asuka smiled.

"Hey, it's my job as a friend. Besides, Yorishima was a nice guy," she said. Hikari managed to smile back.

"Nice dress," she remarked, with a hiccupy laugh. Asuka picked at it, admiring the way it draped.

"It's Misato's," she said. "If I had her measurements, I'd be showing a lot more skin, and the dress wouldn't be down around my calves. I swear, Misato has legs as long as telephone poles." Hikari managed a laugh without the hiccup this time.

"I think I might swipe it; you know I've got a thing for lace," she said. Hikari smiled; even a death couldn't keep Asuka's spirits down. Asuka smirked, before she saw Toji standing by the casket, looking at the wreath around where the head would be on the casket lid.

"I guess even an idiot can pay his respects sometimes," she whispered, motioning to the black-haired boy. Hikari looked at Toji before trying out a shy smile. Asuka rolled her eyes, snatching a tissue from a box and wiping Hikari's eyes, clearing off make-up smudges and making her look half-presentable in front of her crush.

Toji was staring down at the casket, his fist clenched.

"You didn't deserve to go out like this," he muttered. "It was always the four of us- you, me, Kensuke, and Shin-man. We was gonna go to college together, after Shinji beat the Angels. You and me, man." Hikari paused, listening to him talk quietly to his dead friend. It was kind of nice to see a quiet and sensitive side to her sporty crush. Toji exhaled, looking at his feet before he turned back to the casket.

"The strange thing is? I don't believe you was hit by a car. Not for a second. And if anyone tries to tell me different, I'm gonna give 'em a bop on the head; they didn't know you like I did. You'd never let yourself get hit by no car, especially not near no car lift. You avoided them places like the plague," Toji murmured. He kissed his knuckles gently before rapping on the lid of the casket.

"So long, Yorishima," he said quietly. Hikari walked forward, allowing Toji to adjust to her presence.

"Oh, hey Hikari," he said. "This must've been hard to cater; planning a funeral for your friend must've been brutal." Hikari nodded.

"It was always you and him in class," she said, reminiscing. She would've gone on if Toji hadn't stopped her.

"Not yet," he said quietly. Hikari almost asked him what he meant before she understood it himself. It was too soon to reminisce. You don't stitch up a wound until the blood clots. Toji and Yorishima were really close, yet Yorishima hadn't told Toji of Hikari's crush. He is- had been- trustworthy that way.

"Can I treat you to some cake?" Toji offered, holding out his arm. Hikari blushed, nodding. The two walked off into the auditorium while Asuka watched from a few rows of chairs away with a smirk. They made such a cute couple. Her quiet encouragement to Hikari had paid off; but Shinji and Wondergirl, there lay a challenge.

Asuka was about to wrap herself up in feelings of self-glory when the promise she'd made to Hikari a few days ago clicked back up. She'd promised she'd look into Yorishima's death. Hit by a car close to a car lift? A NERV car lift? Either Yorishima had the worst luck in Japan, or there was a missing link in the chain.

Making sure no-one was looking or aware, Asuka slinked forward until she was at the casket. With a quick glance around her to double-check, Asuka lifted the lid and peeked inside.

It was not pretty. Yorishima had definitely _not_ been hit by a car. Cars didn't have bullets on their bonnet. Yorishima had been shot five times, and there was dark, grisly dried blood coating his school uniform.

Asuka let the casket lid drop in shock. It made a loud boom, echoing through the auditorium; Asuka quickly sprinted away. A Section Two agent dashed into the room and managed to catch a glimpse of long red hair flying around the corner. The agent checked the remote seal on the casket. It had been broken.

The agent immediately pulled out his mobile phone and hit 'one' on the speed dial.

"Doctor Akagi?" he asked. "We may have a problem."

-----

Rei stood in the room Misato had given her with one leg through a pair of tight spandex pants. Misato wanted her in clothes that would stay close to the skin, like a plugsuit. Either way, Rei wasn't fond of clothes that clung to her every curve and accented them whenever she stepped. With a glimmer of annoyance behind crimson eyes, the First Child pulled the pants up and settled them over her legs, the tight latex moulding itself immediately to her behind and the gentle curve of her thighs and calves.

Rei removed her shirt and stared at the ridiculous top half of the suit Misato wanted her to wear. It was smaller than her preferred clothing size, with large, soft gelatinous pads over where her bust would go. Still staring at the shirt, Rei began pulling it over her body. If Misato said it was necessary for the synchronisation tests, Rei would wear it. It was as good as an order from a superior officer.

Rei stared at herself in the mirror. The gel inserts sat comfortably over her chest, giving her the odd look of being more buxom than she actually was, or even than Misato was. It wasn't a look Rei particularly relished. Still, if the pads were needed, she would make do.

The First Child exited her room and walked out into the lounge, where Misato, Shinji and Asuka were waiting for her. Shinji's eyes practically bugged out when he saw Rei, and though he turned bright red he didn't say anything. Mainly because he had two such lumps in his own suit, situated in exactly the same place. Asuka was away to the side, snorting at Shinji's expression, until she saw Ayanami walk in, illusioned bust shuddering slightly. Misato felt she'd better step in quickly.

"The gel inserts that are sown into your synchronisation suits are wired with nanocircuitry, transferring your pulse, synapses efficiency, adrenaline level, thought pattern and more to the computer here," Misato explained. "Normally, we'd do the same with a plugsuit, but we can't fit any of the equipment into my apartment, so I had Ritsuko rig this system up for me." Asuka snorted.

"Excuses," she muttered under her breath. Misato pretended not to hear, and clapped her hands in determination.

"Okay. We've got four days until the Angel is scheduled to attack again, and we need _perfect_ synchronisation if we're going to win and not suffer an embarrassment like our first attempt," Misato said strongly. "Put the headphones on, and take your places on the mats. Let's see what we're dealing with here." Asuka lingered by the doorway, with a cocky smirk on her face. Time to see Wondergirl be seriously screwed up on the mat.

"Asuka, wait in the kitchen," Misato said quickly. "I don't want you distracting Rei or Shinji."

"Who, me? Innocent little me?" Asuka said sweetly, but they both knew it was an act. Even Pen-Pen, who was standing at the kitchen door, knew it was an act; but he pretended he didn't so Asuka could open him a can of fish. Which she did, quietly. She ignored the dumb bird scoffing oily treats on the table and leaned back on her chair, watching Misato turn on the screen and boot up the mats.

_Oh, this is gonna be good_, Asuka quietly thought. And, to Asuka's twisted mind, it was good. But she didn't count on Rei being twisted.

Rei stared at her screen with a disappointing lack of emotion before attempting to keep up with the flashing lights and ridiculously fast arrows on screen. Rei's arms and legs were moving so quick and erratically Asuka was reminded of a crimson-eyed doe on ice, a mental image which made her snort in laughter. Until she glanced at Rei's 'score'.

She hadn't missed a step yet.

_What the . . . what _is_ this chick?_ Asuka thought wildly, barely noting the contrast between Rei's extreme speed and Shinji's methodical beat. To her incredulity, Misato still hadn't noticed Rei's struggle. The Major had closed her eyes and was listening to the music with a faint smile on her face. Asuka stared at Rei's score once more before looking at the physical readout of the First Child.

She swallowed hard. She didn't know much about Ayanami's level of fitness, but she was pretty sure that Rei's heart rate was supposed to be _below_ two hundred beats per minute.

Rei's gasp and chough was heard over her music, and she twisted over her left arm and collapsed on the ground, shaking. Misato finally paid attention and rushed to the aid of the sweating pilot, who's combo vanished and score plummeted to zero. Shinji heard the crack and immediately abandoned his own mat; the program flashed the word 'Fail' in bright purple letters before resetting.

"Ayanami!" he said, kneeling by her side and propping her head up, moving her into a comfortable position. Misato was on the opposite side of the First Child and was having serious worries. Rei's complexion matched the colour of her eyes, and her wrist was crooked and swelling like a balloon. Misato awkwardly placed two fingers into the side of Rei's neck, checking her pulse while Shinji felt Rei's wrist and checked for fractures.

Misato lost count after forty beats in ten seconds.

Shinji felt the swelling, but fortunately all the First Child had was a sprained wrist. She'd be fine. Rei's eyes were frantic, and her chest heaved as she tried to breath as much oxygen to her starved heart as she could. Shinji held Rei's hand gingerly, making sure to carefully support her wrist. The skin was soft, softer than he expected it to be, and he took a little comfort and affection from holding the hand of the girl he had a small crush on.

"You'll be fine, Rei," Shinji said. "You just sprained your wrist."

Asuka pumped a fist, but she felt a little guilty. Shinji was holding Rei's hand, and it was in a loving way. Sure, she was injured, but that wasn't all sympathy there. There was attraction too, and judging from the lovesick look on Ikari's face, there was quite a bit of it.

The irritable part was that her victory was tainted by guilt. Rei wasn't supposed to hurt herself, and it looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel in her face or something, she was so red. Asuka ran over to the fridge where Misato usually kept her beer and shoved her arm in, reaching for the back where the bags of ice were kept. The least she could do was help out with Rei's injuries, since it was her fault and all.

Shinji looked up from Rei's purple wrist to see Asuka kneeling by Rei's face and placing the bag of crushed ice over Rei's forehead. The First Child twisted slightly to look at the Second Child, and Asuka's face was impassive. Still, Rei picked up what Asuka was trying to say, and everything clicked.

_Sorry_, she was saying. _I didn't mean for it to go that far_. _I'm sorry_.

Rei filed this little tidbit of information away, just in case. Rei slowly shut her eyes, enjoying the cool pressure of the ice and the soft circular motions Shinji's thumb was making over her swollen wrist.

"Rei!" Misato snapped. "Rei, open your eyes." Rei opened them, and there was the possible ghost of a smile.

"I am quite fine, Captain," Rei said. "I was closing my eyes for a moment." Misato smiled tenderly.

"It's okay. We'll move you to a bed, so you can lie down for a while. Get some rest. You'll need it, because we need your wrist to heal as fast as possible. The Angel is still going to attack in four days," Misato said. Rei nodded, and Shinji scooped the blue-haired girl into his arms, leaning back a little and allowing the gel inserts in his own suit to take some of Rei's weight. Either this cute girl was heavier than he thought or he needed to work out a bit more. Rei's face was quite close to his own, and Shinji blushed when he looked into her eyes.

"I . . . thank you," Rei said, once they were out of earshot of Asuka and Misato. Shinji turned redder, and while around any other person he would have become a stammering mess he managed to keep his composure around Rei.

"You're welcome. It's nothing. I would've done it for Asuka if it happened to her, or to anyone really. It's not that special," Shinji said conversationally. Rei actually felt disappointment at this; one of the few truly affectionate acts in her life had been done by someone who did them as often as opportunity knocked, and therefore meant nothing.

"Oh," Rei said. There didn't seem like anything more to be said from her. Shinji was unaware of his verbal slip, and he laid Rei gently on the bed opposite his own. The First Child shifted slightly to make herself comfortable, and closed her eyes.

"Can I get you anything else?" Shinji asked. Rei stayed silent. Shinji supposed that meant no.

"Sleep soundly," he offered, closing the door behind him.

No-one detected the slight moistening behind Rei's closed eyelids, nor the quiet sadness that became more pronounced in her heart.

-----

Asuka wandered into the kitchen and munched on a German sausage, watching Shinji walk in. She smirked, the cocky and vivacious role coming naturally to her.

"So, how's the First?" she asked. Shinji raised an eyebrow.

"She's sleeping soundly, and her wrist is sprained. The swelling is starting to go down, though," he said. "Her mat was set on the highest difficulty the game offered, with specifically designed chaotic button sequences." Asuka feigned innocence. The Third Child was grasping at straws. There was no possible way he could-

"Asuka, what did you do to the mat?" Shinji said directly. Even though he had no evidence to go on, and Asuka knew it, she still froze for a split second.

Sometimes that's all it takes.

Asuka got to her feet angrily.

"You think I'd intentionally try and drive this mission into the ground just because I'm not a part of it?!" she said incredulously. "It's exactly what Misato said! The Angel is going to attack in four days, whether I pilot my Unit Two or not! And there's absolutely _no_ chance I could synchronise with a useless dirt clod like you, so you and the First are our best hope!" It made sense, and was delivered with just the right mix of incredulation, indignation, and a little bit of hurt. Through Asuka's eyes, Shinji was half-convinced; and Asuka was right.

"You and First are our best hope," she said slowly, reaffirming what she just said. The reality of what she said finally sunk in.

"We are so screwed," she breathed. Shinji grinned, and Asuka noticed he was looking over her shoulder rather than at her eyes.

Asuka froze as the sardine impacted the back of her head and slowly greased it's way down the nape of her neck. Having recently gained a Master's Degree in the universally unspoken language of 'I'm Going To Break Your Neck', she turned to face the doomed penguin.

Pen-Pen knew his own personal apocalypse had just arrived.

Shinji couldn't help but smile at the roaring German girl and the squeaking penguin that was running away as fast as it's tiny legs would carry it. Sometimes Asuka was good to have around. After all, she really wasn't such a bad person, and she certainly was attractive . . .

Shinji felt any possibly halfway-close to a maybe infinitesimal chance of slightly liking Asuka as more than a friend migrate south as certainly as the sardine that was making an oily stain around the middle of Asuka's back. Besides, he liked Ayanami, but he still had to figure out why. And just liking her presence was definitely not enough ground to stand on for the Third Child.

Shinji leant back in his chair and contented himself with thoughts of the serene blue-haired girl that meant so much to him as he watched Asuka chase a penguin around the couch.

IceBlade28: Well, there ends another chapter of Do You Really Know Me. Sorry for the wait!!!

Maya: I hope you enjoyed it! Next chapter: Rei's wrist is slow to heal, and with the constraints of time squeezing Misato she forces the First and Third Child to spend the entire time in close proximity with each other in an effort to synchronise their biorhythms. Asuka begins to feel a little jealous and for the first time wonders if her plan was so wise in the first place. Toji and Hikari go on their first date, and Ritsuko comes to call to check up on the training . . .

IceBlade28: Drop a review on your way out! I'd love to hear what your thoughts are!


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